Someone To Take Her Home
by ChangeEverything4078
Summary: Hermione had dreamt of the day that Cedric would come back into her life- but she never imagined he would want to rekindle the fires ignited so long ago. Can Hermione forgive and forget, as well as continue their forgotten romance?
1. Chapter 1

Someone To Take Her Home

Chapter One

I was running, laughing and dodging the bits of snow flying at me from behind. I darted into a crowd of people, hoping to remain hidden, and smacked into something, hard. Someone, make that. We both fell down, I landed on top of my victim.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped out, still breathless. I lay there for a moment, catching my breath, then awkwardly climbed off the man underneath me, and extended my hand to help him up. He clambered to his feet, and I looked up into his face. My second apology died in my throat as I looked into his eyes. I'd recognize them anywhere.

"Hermione? Where did you disappear to?" Harry called, skidding to a halt behind me when he finally caught up. He glanced between myself and the man in front of me, nothing but confusion in his eyes.

"What did you-" He stopped speaking as quickly as he had started. I knew he would figure it out soon enough. "Cedric. Hi." He said quietly, as though the realization of who I had tackled had knocked the wind out of him.

Cedric looked at the two of us, surprised. I cant blame him, even though it had only been two years, we had changed. I had seen him night after night, the moment I closed my eyes, and Harry…well, I don't think Harry could ever forget Cedric. Cedric looked between us, back and forth, until finally he looked at me, and I knew he remembered.

_I leaned my head on his shoulder, resting it between his neck and jaw. He put his head down, and I could feel his hair, rubbing across my neck and jaw. It was rough, but the tenderness of the moment was enough that I wouldn't dare move away from him. He raised his head to look at me, and I leaned in, our lips almost touching…_

"Hermione? Is that really you?" I looked down, and nodded. He was even more beautiful than in my dreams. I could understand his disbelief, I had changed a lot since fifth year.

"I cant believe it, you look great! What have you been doing? Besides knocking people over I mean." He asked, making light of the situation like only he could. Being the suave, confident individual I was, I managed to choke out the phrase

"I… um… you know, school…" I shrugged. Cedric looked at Harry. "Harry Potter. How are you doing? Haven't seen you in a while!"

Harry shook his hand then let go as quickly as he could without seeming rude, then muttered something quietly.

"I have to go. Hermione, I'll come find you later. Cedric… I'll see you around. Bye." Cedric nodded, and lifted his hand in goodbye. I turned, wrapped my arms quickly around Harry's waist, and whispered in his ear.

"Don't worry. Please." He nodded then walked away swiftly. I looked at Cedric. I hadn't seen him since I was fifteen. He left at the end of my fifth year, his seventh, taking my heart with him, to go see the world with his dad and study abroad. I stayed at Hogwarts, studying and growing and changing, but things were never the same.

_I clung to his arm, laughing like a madman. I looked up, and he looked down at me, serious in contrast to my giddiness. I quieted down, gazing into his dark eyes. The dark brown and moss green vortexes, usually soft and jovial, were deep and filled with something unreadable. I tucked a loose curl behind my ear, and raised my eyebrow, questioning the pensive turn our moment seemed to have taken. He looked at me, searching, then reached out towards me. I instinctually leaned in, and our lips met in the middle. His hand caressed my jaw, while the other knotted itself in my thick hair. His lips were soft and probing, every caress full of the unasked questions between us._

"Are you busy? I mean, would you be willing to get a butterbeer or something?" I blinked up at him, surprised, then gathered my wits and answered.

"Yeah, uh sure, that'd be great. Now?" He nodded, and I straightened my hat and waved my arm in front of us, gesturing that we should probably get a move on it, if we wanted to get back to campus on time. As a seventh year, I was allowed to leave and go to Hogsmeade as I pleased, provided that I was back on campus by ten every night, at latest. We slowly made our way to Hogsmeade, and walked through the town, entering the Three Broomsticks with a wintery gust of wind. The door slammed shut behind us, and we sat down after ordering our drinks.

"So." He began. I shut my eyes, waiting for the questions. "How have you been?" I paused, to see if that was all for now, then answered.

"Well, I've been okay. Things have been good, quite busy you know, with school and everything. But things have been good. What about you? I mean… how have you been? You look good and all…" I said, flushing a deep rosy color as he looked at me and grinned.

"I've been good. Traveling was incredible, but those are stories that can wait for another day. I really missed you though… you've changed. What's different?" He looked at me. It was that same look he gave me all those years ago.

_"Hermione, honestly. Just tell me what's wrong, come on." I shrugged, then whispered as quietly as I could, "I saw you. With Cho, by the lake. I just thought, maybe, we…" I trailed off, and he gave me that look. I couldn't stand it, that face he made. It spelled out, clearly, every one of my faults. When I looked into his beautiful eyes, instead of seeing love, I saw my own insecurities reflected back at me. It was the face he made when he was trying to figure out what I was thinking, but all it did was make me question every single thought in my head._

"Don't look at me like that!" I exclaimed, probably a little more abruptly than was necessary. Cedric looked up, surprised, and opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

"Don't look at me like we are still stupid teenagers, in love. I know that face, and things are different now, Cedric. I'm not the same person, and I'm not sure I ever even knew who the hell you were. But don't you dare waltz in here, unannounced and expect me to be the same girl you left here, two damn years ago." He looked at me, stunned, then raised his eyebrows.

"Things aren't the same anymore, Cedric." We sat in silence for an unbearably long time. I didn't want to break the silence, and either way, I had no idea what to say. I silently chastised myself for bringing it up.. I knew that we would, eventually, have to deal with our past, but I probably didn't need to call attention to the elephant in the room by ordering the thing to trample on Cedric. I mean, after all, we've only been talking about twenty minutes…

Cedric cleared his throat, dragging me out of my revere.

"Well, I guess we both knew this was going to come up. I had admit, I hoped once maybe you had warmed up to me again, you'd be more amiable to discuss it, but I guess now is as good a time as ever, hmm?" He looked at me, and I looked down at the table, blushing to the roots of my hair. I had imagined this scenario time after time, but I had never imagined it this way.

I guess I was pretty naïve. Fifteen and in love, Cedric was 17, with grand plans that I wasn't really a part of. He took me under his wing though, and we became friends. He felt something for me, although I couldn't say for sure what, and we made it work, as well as we could. When he left though, I was stuck here. Everybody thinks I am over it, but to be honest… I really am not sure. The way I felt for him… I have never felt that way for anyone else.

Cedric took a deep breath, and began again.

"Hermione… I know I just showed up here, out of the blue. The story is that I'm here again for an internship in teaching. But, the real reason I'm here… is you.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey everybody, posting chapter two! i know i just posted one the other day, but i had the time, so why not? Just to clear a few things up, in this Cedric never died. He lived through the Goblet of Fire, and he and Hermione fell in love. I realized that the italics didn't carry over to the mobile version, so the two paragraphs in chapter one that didn't seem to fit were flashbacks. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter Two

Two Years Ago

"Hermione! Come here please," Cedric called across the tables. I had just walked into the Great Hall for lunch when he motioned me over. He stood when I reached their table, and wrapped me into a tight hug.

"Happy Birthday," he whispered into my hair, squeezing me close to him. I was thrilled; this was by far the most affectionate Cedric had ever been with me out in public. It's not that he was embarrassed or anything, he just chose to keep our "relationship", if you could call it that, on the down low.

I felt him slip something into the pocket of my robes, then he released me from the hug and grinned. He sat down and I turned to join my friends at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron scooted down so I could sit between them, and then they began bombarding me with birthday wishes. I tried, I really had, to keep my birthday a quite thing. I was turning fifteen, it really wasn't a big deal. How word got out, I have no idea, but I did know I would have to pay for my secrecy ten fold in birthday wishes.

"Happy Birthday, Mione!" Harry exclaimed, gently elbowing me and smiling. Harry really was sweet, he looked so genuinely excited for me that I couldn't help but to smile back.

"Bloody hell, I cant believe it, Mione! You're older than me!" Ron exclaimed. He, the youngest of our trio, wouldn't be turning fifteen for another two months. I grinned, and jokingly smacked him.

"Don't worry Ron. We'll still let you tag along with Harry and I when we go do grown up things," I mocked. He turned red and narrowed his eyes, and Harry and I burst out laughing. The look on his face was truly priceless. After a little while, Harry and Ron excused themselves to finish an assignment due later that day, and I sat in peace for a moment, before reaching into my pocket to examine whatever it was Cedric had given me.

Inside my pocket was a small piece of parchment, folded in half. I unfolded in, my hands trembling in nervous excitement. Written across the middle of the paper were five words, scripted elegantly in his distinctive hand.

"Meet me outside. 10:30 tonight."

-C

I grinned and tucked the note back into my pocket, saving it for later examination, and as a keepsake, of course. I collected my books and things, then grabbed my bag and headed off to a day of classes. My schedule was easy enough today, which would give me plenty of time to prepare for tonight. Thoughts of what Cedric had planned for me swam in the forefront of my brain all day, and I swear if anyone asked me what had happened in any of my classes, I wouldn't have any clue.

"Ms. Ganger!" I looked up sharply, to see Professor Snape glaring at me. I quickly looked around, and to my dismay, saw most of my classmates staring in my direction, glad that Snape's attention was directed somewhere other than themselves.

"Yes, Sir?" I asked innocently, as though I was paying utmost attention the entire time. He wasn't going for it though. Luckily, he didn't seem to feel up to pursuing the matter, however, because he swept away and continued his lesson on god only knows what. I sighed in relief and slumped back against my chair, returning to my fantasies and what Cedric had planned tonight. A romantic dinner, perhaps? Or dancing, under the stars? I broke my revere, and shuddered. Harry was right, I was clearly becoming way to involved in the muggle romance novels my mum kept sending.

When my classes for the day were over, I raced back to the Gryffindor common room as quickly as I could, dodging people who I knew would stop me to talk. It was already 4:30, and with dinner, I only had a few hours to get ready. I decided that around five I could probably get supper without seeming too suspicious, and if I excused myself from the festivities that are sure to ensure by eight, I would have just enough to get ready. Even though I had no idea what was planned, I knew that I had to look good, and that was enough for me.

Dinner was successful, and sure enough, Harry and Ron, with the help of Fred and George had a party in full swing by the time we returned to the common room. I grinned at the amount of effort that they had clearly put into this; I may not like parties, by there was no denying the sweetness of the gesture. I laughed and talked with everyone for a few hours, and when the clock struck seven thirty, I began to excuse myself. I knew from experience that it would take some time to extricate myself from this.

I was, eventually, successful, and by a few minutes before eight I was in the safety of my room. I decided I would not wear robes, but a muggle dress I had brought with me just in case. It was beautiful, a soft sage green dress that touched the top of my knees. Its halter-top showed of enough of my chest to create some semblance of cleavage, and its full, floaty skirt made my every motion seem graceful. With a pair of sandals and my favorite cardigan I had brought from home, I thought this would be the perfect outfit.

I hopped in the shower, washing my body thoroughly with rose scented body wash. My shampoo and conditioner both smelled like vanilla, so I smelt wonderful by the time I departed from the shower. I dried my hair magically, then began my work. I used a hair serum that I had recently purchased in Hogsmeade; it claimed to smooth unruly curls and eliminate flyaway hair, which would be perfect for tonight. I decided basic makeup would be appropriate for the night, although any makeup at all was a rarity for me.

After about an hour and a half of primping, I was ready. It was just about ten, and I stood in front of the full body mirror, examining the result from every angle. Not too bad, not too bad at all. The dress fit me flawlessly, and paired with the sweater and sandals, my outfit was perfect. My hair fell in smooth ringlets around my face, and the small amount of makeup I had used made my cheeks look rosy and my brown eyes look huge and soft. A success, if I do say so myself.

At ten fifteen, I ventured quietly through the deserted corridors. Everyone was either in bed, or in their common room, and in just under an hour, the halls would be banned from student use. I slowly made my way to the outdoors, looking around for any sign of Cedric. It was still early, only twenty passed ten, and I wondered if I had arrived before him. Looking around, there were no signs of anyone, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flickering light.

I walked over toward it and saw, suspended in mid air near a tree, a candle. Barely ten feet away was another, and another following it. I slowly followed the trail, the white votives leading me down towards the dark, still night. It was warm out, and a gentle breeze tossed my curls and made the candle flames flicker mystically in the dark. After a few minutes, I reached the shore of the lake. It was here that the candles ended, and I looked around, curious to see what would be next.

"Hermione, come here," I heard him call from behind me. His voice was soft and gentle, and I felt shivers trace my spine as I spun around to see him. He was sitting on a large, flat rock underneath the protection of a tree, just a few feet behind me. I cant believe I hadn't noticed him! I looked around, taking in my surroundings. What I saw nearly made me faint, I didn't understand how he had possibly done this on his own, for me.

The trees were strung with Chinese lanterns, each one filled with a flickering white votive, the same kind that had led me down to the lake. They cast a warm, dancing light across the rock, a warm bright sanctuary in the dark summery night. He grinned, and gestured to me to come closer. The rock was covered with a soft, red and white checkered cloth, and there were two more candles there, and a vase with one long stemmed red rose in it. I gasped, and Cedric's smile grew exponentially larger. I walked toward him and sat down next to him on the rock. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, then pulled out a container from behind him.

"Close your eyes, please," he requested, and I complied. I heard him shuffling things around. After a few moments, he granted me permission to reopen my eyes, and I did. The rock was now covered with a platter of chocolate covered strawberries, and in two beautiful goblets was a clear, sparkling water. Cedric turned at looked at me, his smile replaced with a nervous look. Was he… waiting for my _approval_? I threw my arms around him.

"Thank you! Oh my gosh, Cedric, this is incredible! Thank you so much," I gushed, holding him tightly. He smiled, his cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink.

"Happy Birthday, Hermione." I looked into his eyes, and there was something there I had never seen before. I opened my mouth to say something, but he shushed me. I looked at him, confused, and he took a deep breath.

"Hermione… I love you.""


	3. Chapter 3

Someone To Take Her Home ch.3

My jaw dropped, and I sat there, staring at him in silence. I must have misheard him, or something. There is no way on earth that Cedric just said he came back for **me.** I shook my head slightly, then focused.

"What?" I assumed what ever he said would make more sense the second time around. He had the decency to turn red and look down at the table, clearly embarrassed. The longer that he sat there, staring at his own hands, the more confused I got. Did he really think that he could waltz back into my life, proclaim his undying love for me, and I would be _okay _with it? I'm a dreamer, so I am pretty good with the implausible, but this… this was just insensitive. Doesn't he realize how much he hurt me?

"What exactly did you expect to happen, now? Did you expect I would be so overwhelmed with joy -you still want me!- and I would say yes to whatever you are trying to ask me? We would live happily ever after?"

Cedric looked up at me. He made eye contact, for the first time since his declaration, and I could see written clearly across his face that he knew I would react this way. But he hoped I wouldn't.

"Hermione…. I- ," he began, but then let the sentiment die. He gathered his thoughts, then tried again.

"This was stupid. I should have know this was a bad idea… you deserve better than this. I'm really sorry, Hermione. I didn't plan on telling you this yet, I guess…" He trailed off, and looked at me apologetically, then returned to examining his hands on the table. We sat there, in silence. I was in a stunned silence now, having gotten my disbelief already out into the open, and he was unreadable.

Had he really changed this much? He had always been so strong, confident, and assertive. I was always the weak, emotional, speak whatever stupid thing I was thinking member of our "relationship." How on earth had he become this… the man in front of me? Was it possible he had really changed this much in the last two years?

Or maybe it was me?

Finally he looked up, and it was Cedric again. His doppelganger, the sensitive, insecure man who was sitting in front of me was gone, and the Cedric I thought I knew was back. He gazed at me steadily for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and the incredible amount that he had changed in mere seconds took my breath away. He had been so open, and I kind of liked it. He may have been insensitive, and probably delusional, now that I think about it, but he was sensitive, and showing me his heart… I had never seen him so vulnerable… or beautiful. But now, blinking back at me from across the table was the man I had fallen for, and the man who had broken me.

Although we were barely three feet across from each other, on opposite sides of the table, it was as though a chasm had opened between us. We could have been miles and miles apart, with the deepest of gullies below us, the river of tears I cried for him flowing through the rock.

"Can we be friends again?" he asked, finally breaking the silence. I shuddered. The thought of being just friends with Cedric was painful. It was never enough, and that was were things got painfully complicated.

"What? What is so bad with being my friend, Hermione? Is the idea really that disgusting to you, or… are you not ready to forgive me? Even now?" He trailed off at the end, looking genuinely hurt by the thought that perhaps I didn't want anything to do with him.

"We can try to be friends, Cedric," I said, uncertainly.

"What I can't promise is that it will work. It may have been two years ago, but… I just can't promise anything, okay?" I wasn't about to tell him that I had dreamt of him of and off since he left, or that I missed him everyday, and still kept a muggle photo of him under my bed in a box. He didn't need to know _any _of this, or at least not anytime soon.

"Hermione… is there something… I mean… " He didn't finish, but it was clear he didn't understand why I was so hesitant about our friendship. To me, all this meant was that he also didn't understand how much this had meant to me at one point. And it clearly hadn't meant the same to him. I looked down, and caught a glace of the time on my wristwatch.

"Shit! I have to be back on campus in fifteen minutes! There is no way I can be back in time!" I cried out, already standing up and collecting my things haphazardly, throwing my bag together and wrapping up in my coat and scarf. I turned around again, my curly air whipping my face as I turned sharply. He was still sitting there, with an amused look on his face.

"Let's GO!" I exclaimed, annoyed at the look on his face. He looked bemused, but extracted himself from his chair, and put his cloak on. We grabbed hands and apparated, not even bothering to leave the restaurant. We appeared at the gates, which would lock in mere minutes, and ran up the path to the school. After a few minutes, I heard the chime of the clock striking ten, and the gates swinging shut. We ran up the twists and turns toward the school, as I whispered silent prayers that no one would catch us. My hair swung behind me in a heavy curtain of curls, and Cedric looked flushed.

We made it to the school and ran as quietly as we could through the halls. I was struck more than once by the bizarreness of the situation; here I was running through the halls, ten minutes after curfew, with Cedric Diggory. We rounded the corner, I whispered the password breathlessly to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady looked at us disapprovingly, but swung open nonetheless to let us in. We tripped inside, breathless and laughing.

I collapsed onto the couch, and he threw himself playfully on top of me. I froze underneath him. He realized what was wrong, but didn't get up off of me. He propped himself up, keeping me trapped underneath him. He turned so our chests were touching, and my breath grew ragged. He looked down at me, and leaned forward.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_He leaned forward. _ He looked at me, staring into my eyes, searching. What he was looking for, I couldn't begin to guess, but he seemed to find it… or maybe he just wanted to find it so badly he made himself believe it was there. He leaned forward, moving slowly, giving me the chance to stop it before anything happened. I couldn't.

He pressed his lips onto mine, softly at first, but with growing desperation. I was too shocked to respond, but he couldn't be deterred. His hands wound their way into my curls, and his lips moved against mine. He tried to deepen the kiss, and after a few moments, I let him. I could not stop, as simple as that. I knew that I shouldn't allow this; he hadn't proven anything to me. But I had missed him so bad. I was drunk on his flavor; I could feel him in every cell of my body. I was on fire, responding to his touch in ways I thought I would never feel again.

He continued to kiss me passionately and his hands began to roam, untangling themselves from my hair and traveling down my body. He stroked my sides and hips, pressing his body against me as we kissed. I felt his hands on the buttons of my blouse, and almost stopped him, but at the last minute allowed him to continue. At least this way if he leaves again, I will know how it felt. I'll have the memories, if nothing else.

He pulled off my blouse, but left my tank top and bra intact. He gently stroked my collarbone, and began to kiss his way down my neck. He reached my cleavage, lavishing the tops of my chest with kisses. It felt incredible, each kiss igniting a spark inside me. I lay back, drowning in the sensations he awoke in me. I had reach a state of only partial consciousness, barely aware of what Cedric was doing, only how it felt. I hadn't felt this alive in so damn long.

The first thing to drag me sharply back into awareness was his hand, tracing the line of exposed skin directly above my waistband. I blinked quickly, regaining a bit of my composure and collecting my wits. I felt Cedric's hands at the button of my pants, and I jerked away as well as I could.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I gasped out. He looked up, shocked, and opened his mouth, only to close it again. I sat up, pulling away from him and righting my clothing. I grabbed my blouse, buttoning it as fast as I could.

"How stupid. I cant' believe how stupid I was…how stupid I am! Why did I think you..." I shook my head, talking to myself. Then I looked at Cedric.

His hair was a mess, standing up and thoroughly tousled from my hands. His face was rosy, with two bright red spots high on his cheekbones. His eyes were shining and his lips were slightly swollen and pink. He seemed to be having trouble wrapping his head around the sudden change.

"Leave," I whispered quietly. I pointed towards the door, and shook my head. I couldn't look at him much longer, with the thoughts of what could have…**almost** did just happen hanging over my head. I had almost just let him in in more ways than one, and I had almost just given him the one thing that I had left.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please! I just got so caught up and…I mean…please, Hermione, please don't do this," Cedric stumbled to apologize, tripping over his own words in his haste. I stood on shaking legs, and Cedric threw himself onto his knees in front of me.

"Hermione, listen to me. I know how horrible I was, and I know that this must be really hard for you, to give me a second chance and all, but you've got to believe me. I'm back because I care about you! I'm not just here because I've got nothing better to do, or because I want to be with you like… _that. _I'm here because I really really care about you Hermione. Please, please believe me!" he cried. I looked down at him, unsure. I had no idea whether or not I should still trust him, but he looked so damn sincere. He appeared to be on the verge of tears was on his knees in front of me…. I've never seen him like this before.

"Okay. Okay. You… you can stay. I guess… that was my fault too. I should have stopped it before it got too far. But no more, understood?" I looked down at him, and I swear the smile on his face was brighter than the fire crackling warmly in the hearth.

"Thank you! Thank you so much Hermione! I promise I wont ever do anything like that again, I swear. We can just be platonic friends from now on. But thank you, thank you so much!" He grinned up at me, looking way too happy for his own damn good, and then he slowly got up and pulled me into a tight hug. After a minute, I relaxed into his arms, and just let him hold me. He leaned his head forward, and quietly breathed into my hair.

"Thank you, Hermione. And I promise, I will **never** hurt you. Not ever again, Hermione." I didn't say anything. I just nodded, and let him hold me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Hey guys, I just thought I would apologize for my sporadic (and short) updates! Hopefully this makes up for it! Life has been pretty crazy, and I've been putting way too much into writing essays, not chapters! So much emotional drama on top of school work…EH!… but I'll try to keep up for you guys! Thanks again for the reviews, they make this easier **

**Chapter 5**

The next morning, I rolled out of bed to dull light shining in my window. It was just an hour or so after dawn, and no one else in the room was stirring. It was a Monday, and I didn't have any classes until noon. I had double potions after lunch, and then my head girl patrol duties to finish off the night. If it weren't for the fact that both involved spending time with the Slytherins, I would be in for an excellent day. I stretched and grabbed my toiletries bag, heading to the shower.

I turned on the water, cranking it up warm and stripping quickly, stepping under the spray. I let the warm water run over my body, and I hummed softly in pleasure. I stretched my joints and rolled my shoulders, getting re-acquainted with being awake again. I grabbed my shampoo, squirted out enough to fill my palm, and began working it through my thick curls. As I continued to massage the thick liquid into my scalp, I began to re-hash last nights events.

As happy as I was to once again have Cedric in my life, I still wasn't sure that I had done the right thing in letting him off the hook so easily. I understood getting caught up in it…hell, I got pretty caught up too. But I still couldn't believe that he somehow thought I would be ready and willing to commit to something like that so easily. Only four people knew my "deep, dark secret" when it comes to my sexuality, and although Cedric wasn't one of them, and I couldn't expect him to take it slow because of it, I still would have appreciated him to give it more time.

I had given up my virginity at an earlier age than I am proud to admit. I was 15, the man of my dreams (I know. How cliché) had just left me, it was Christmas break, and I was alone. I'm not sure which of these truly did it in for me, but I ended up going all the way with, as ashamed as I am to admit it, the first guy who was ready and willing. That isn't the worst of it though. There are plenty of girls who lost their virginity at a young age, and as sad as it was, at least they were in love with the guy, then and there. I… was not. I lost my virginity… to Draco Malfoy.

It wasn't the release I had hoped for, from the pain, memories, or sexual tension. In fact, all it was was painful. Draco was not the passionate lover that I needed. He was lonely and desperate, and apparently was too thick to ask before he began. He assumed I had previously lost my virginity, and by the time he realized he was wrong, it was too late. Much too late.

I walked away (or as close to walking as my stumbling could be considered) from the incident scarred and in no better a state, if not worse, than I was before. I know I probably sound rather nonchalant about this whole affair, but to be honest it never mattered that much to me to begin with. Sexuality was just another thing to explore, and that I did.

I finished my shower without having resolved any of my problems, but much cleaner and more relaxed. I threw on some old sweatpants and a tank top that I had brought from home, and towel-dried my hair. It hung in damp ringlets around my shoulders, and I rubbed some conditioner into it. I walked down to the common room with my books, and took a seat by the fireplace to get some homework out of the way. It was still early, only about 6:30, and my classmates were just beginning to stir.

I pulled out a scroll of parchment and my favorite quill, and began to work on my potions essay. It wasn't due until the end of the week, but I knew I should start it now, because my week was looking hellish already. I looked down and began my paper. _"The three main ingredients…"_

An hour and two scrolls of parchment later, my potions essay was complete. I was sufficiently proud of it; it wasn't perfect, but it certainly was good. I stood up and stretched, rolling my neck and shoulders, then putting all my supplies into my bag. I ran up to my dorm and dropped my stuff off, then threw on my robes for breakfast. Most of the girls were up and showering, getting ready for their 8:30 classes.

After breakfast, I decided to find Harry and talk to him. I hadn't found him yesterday like I said I would, and although he wouldn't be angry, I was sure he was worried. After a few minutes of searching the places he frequented, I found him propped up against a window, reading some library book about Quidditch. I plopped down on the sill next to him, and waited patiently until he finished the chapter and looked up.

"Hey… I'm sorry I didn't come find you yesterday. I meant to, but we got back late, and just barely made curfew.." I began. He just shook his head.

"It's fine 'Mione, don't worry about it. I was just worried about you. Are you okay? Anything you want to talk about?" That was one of the things that I loved about Harry. He never tried to force information out of me. I knew that although he was curious, the reason he was asking was not because he wanted to know, but because he thought talking might help me. He was a good friend like that.

I shook my head, not sure what I would say if I even knew where to begin. He nodded, understanding, and paused before asking, "I just want to know. Did you forgive him?" I nodded. He acknowledged my answer, and threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. He was perceptive like that; he knew that right now, the only thing I really needed was a comforting hug.

"Thanks Harry" I whispered. He squeezed me tighter.

I spent the rest of the morning catching up on homework and staring into space. With everything on my mind after yesterday, I was shocked that I was able to do anything at all. Despite this, I had a relatively productive morning. I ate a late lunch, and then packed my things up for potions class.

I walked down to the dungeons, arriving at class a few minutes early. I grabbed a table close to the front of the room and started to set up my things. I had all my supplies neatly arranged on the table when Draco walked in. He pulled up a chair at my table and sat down, toying with my potions things.

"Can I **help** you, Draco?" I demanded, not in the mood to put up with his shenanigans. He just grinned and tipped his chair back, rolling my quill between his fingers. He closed his eyes lazily, completely ignoring my presence. I rolled my eyes, reached over and grabbed my quill from Draco, and returned it to where I had it originally positioned. He opened his eyes lazily, one at a time, and finally fixed his glance on me.

"Am I bothering you, Granger? Something wrong?" I rolled my eyes.

"Just leave me alone Draco. Go away." He pretended to be surprised, and held his hand on his heart as though I had wounded him. The rest of the class began filling in, and Draco finally got up and left. Arrogant git.

Professor Snape started talking, lecturing the class on something that I had learned weeks ago. He continued to talk for the majority of the class, only stopping with five minutes left in class.

"I assume you all have begun your paper on the ingredients in a healing potion? Mr. Potter?" Harry blushed and looked away, pretending to ignore the question. Snape turned to me.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Yes, sir, I'm already finished, actually." I said with the smallest hint of a smile. I loved it when Sanpe tried to pick on me and I was given the opportunity to best him.

"Is that so? May is see?" he asked incredulously. I grabbed the essay, which I had luckily thought to bring to class, and stood up, walked to the front of the class, handed it to him, and sat down again. He looked at it, began reading it, and then dismissed the lass without another word. Ha!

Harry and I walked to the Great Hall for dinner, and grabbed a seat on the Gryffindor bench next to each other. We began eating, while chatting lightly. I had managed to avoid thinking about Cedric all day, but now that the conversation was slowing down, he was starting to creep back into my thoughts. What was I doing? Just as I started to lose myself in thoughts, I heard a voice behind me.

"So, Mudblood. Found someone new to bang I see?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so sorry it took me so long to update! Here's another chapter, and my apologies!**

Chapter 6

I whipped around, turning to find the haughty profile of Draco Malfoy as he was turning to leave.

"_Excuse me_? What did you just say to me, Malfoy?" I gasped, my voice lowering as I spoke, each word becoming more and more threatening. He took a step back, surprised, but then regained his composure and repeated the offending statement. I said nothing, and he stared down at me condescendingly.

"I saw Diggory skulking around the school today…see, I would have guessed you would at least have moved on to bigger and better things, but no, I see you've sunken back down to his level again. That's too bad…" he paused, before adding with a sickening wink "You really could have gone places, Granger.." He trailed off suggestively, eyeing my figure, before moving to return to his table. I would have none of it however.

"How _dare _you speak to me like that! Not only do you have no clue what you are talking about, you have no right to talk down to me like that you bloody-"

"Hermione! Calm down! Snape is coming over now, bloody hell…" Harry interjected, cutting me off before I could say something detention worthy. Glad that Harry had stopped me before I got up and made I scene, I took a deep breath and calmed down before Snape reached the table.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this disruption?" Snape asked from behind me. I turned out, facing the two men, and spoke up before Draco could.

"Well you see, Professor, I was sitting here with Harry, eating dinner, when Draco decided to come over…" I trailed off, not really looking for a confrontation and allowing Malfoy a way out if he could think of one fast enough.

"Yeah, um, I just had a question about a um... Charms project that we are working on." He finished, slightly lamely, but nonetheless, Snape seemed to accept the response. He stalked off, and Draco turned to look at me again. There was a softer, different look in his eyes. It was different, unusual, and quasi-human. And it freaked the hell out of me. Why on earth was Draco Malfoy looking at me like that? He hesitated, then leaned in towards me.

"Hermione," he whispered. "Come on. You can do so much better…" he trailed off, a look of pure desperation on his face.

"Draco Malfoy, you have _no _ right to tell me who I should or shouldn't be with. Not only do you have NO claim on me, I am certainly doing better than you!" I hissed at him. He looked taken aback, and his customary stone-cold, haughty face returned. He stalked off without replying, and left me to deal with the strange looks from my classmates. They all looked at me questioningly, and I sighed in irritation, stood up, grabbed my books, and stormed out of the Great Hall. I am not in the mood to deal with any of my classmates, and luckily for them, they chose not to follow me. There was only one person I think I could talk to without wanting to stab them with the nearest sharp object, and I'm pretty sure talking to him right now would not be a good idea, mostly for my sanity. I walked up the stairs, planning on heading back to my room for a little while, but instead, I simply wandered. I lost myself in my thoughts, and let my feet carry me wherever they damn well wanted to. I had no idea where I was going, but I had enough to think about already, without worrying about that too. It wasn't until I slammed into something very hard, that I returned from the clouds.

I looked up, and found myself staring into the one face I know I shouldn't be thinking about. Shit. His deep. Green-brown eyes were smoldering down at me, full of ineffable emotions that seemed close to the surface. His hands were on my shoulders, keeping me steady, and I could feel him in every pore of my body. His scent was sweet, like the smell you get when you walk outside, in the spring, and smell the dirt, and leaves, and blooming flowers. It wasn't the scent you would think to be the epitome of masculinity, but it was the manliest, and most comforting think I had ever smelled in my life. Shit. No, no, no, no, NO! I really can't be thinking these thoughts about him.

I looked up at him again, and he quickly ley go of me. I took a stumbling step back, and he looked down at me hesitantly.

"Hermione…look. I've been thinking a lot about what you said, and I've decided…I really can't be friends with you."


End file.
